Resident Evil: Once and for all
by FaustRoW
Summary: A young Edonian D.S.O. recruit seeks to avenge his parents' deaths and end the Edonian civil war once and for all... Set after RE6. Rated M for adult language, strong violence suggestions, and probably some sexual themes later on... My first story on fanfic. I don't know how many chapters this story will have yet.
1. Prologue: Candidate Profile

**Division of Security Operations**

**Candidate profile**

Last name: Roland

First name: John

Born: 1994, Edonia

Nationality: Edonian (US citizenship)

Race: Caucasian

Hair: Dark brown, crew cut (0.1 inches crown, 0.03 inches sides and back)

Eye color: Light brown/Dark green (partial heterochromia)

Height: 5 ft 9

Weight: 164 lbs

Body type: Mesomorph

Facial features: Small mole on right cheekbone

**Psycho-analysis: **

The subject is calm, rational and factual, and a very strong-willed individual. He works well under pressure, and has a strong sense of justice and virtue. He can be cold and sharp-tongued sometimes, but he does this to hide his lack of self-confidence. The operative is known to suffer from depression and large consummation of alcoholic beverages, although he never drinks on duty or when driving.

**Bio:**

Born in Edonia c. 1994. His ancestors are British by origin, hence the last name, which is very uncommon in Edonia. The bad state of the country made his parents send him to the United States, where he studied economics. When the civil war in Edonia erupted in 2010, his parents were caught in a crossfire and died on the streets of the Edonian capital. When he got the news, full of rage, grief and despair, John Roland abandoned his economic studies and enrolled in a police training course, wanting a hand in serving justice where he could. Upon finishing the course, he showed great aptitudes for the job of a policeman, despite being slightly obese and very sickly as a child. He overcame all his obstacles by sheer power of will. He was accepted into the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. In August 2013, after the C-virus incident, Roland wanted information on what had happened in his home country, Edonia. As he had no legal ways of obtaining information, he resorted to hacking, being very skilled in the use of computers. He eventually broke into the D.S.O. Database, but was tracked down soon enough. He was apprehended and brought to the D.S.O. Headquarters for questioning and processing.

**Summary: **Operative L. S. Kennedy sees huge potential in this individual. He has shown great enthusiasm and desire for cooperation and teamwork, and commitment to fighting global terrorism. He will certainly be a useful addition to the Division of Security Operations.

**Enlistment Request Status: **APPROVED

Date: August 8th 2013

Chief Candidate Evaluator: Ingrid Hunnigan


	2. Chapter 1: A New Life

Shell after shell of 9mm bullets fell to the ground with a sharp "clang". Gunfire echoed throughout the shooting range. A slight frown adorned John's serious face as he emptied the clip into the paper target. He pushed the button on the counter and the target slid towards him, stopping with a swing.

- "Hmph.", muttered John. "Could be better."

- "Could be worse, too. Not to shabby, rookie", responded Leon.

John tilted his head slightly to the right as a sign of agreement. He took of the earmuffs, switched on the safety on his favorite handgun, the M9 Beretta, and put it back into his shoulder holster. He then ripped the target down and said:

- "I'm done for today. I think I'll run the training course again tomorrow, but I'll have to ask someone to change the layout of the targets… I almost know it by heart."

Leon smirked and responded:

- "Do you ever rest or something? You've been going at it for three weeks straight. It's almost inhuman."

- "Yeah, I know… What can I say, power of will.", said John.

Now that he thought of it, he was feeling exhausted. He barely slept an average 5 hours a day, had two light meals, and then committed himself to training until evening. He hadn't been on any missions yet, but he was determined to be completely ready when he finally gets an assignment.

- "I think I'll take the weekend off. I could use some R&R… I'm gonna get a coffee, wanna come with?", John asked his mentor.

- "Yeah, why not. I'll review those reports later in the evening, I need a break right now.", said Leon.

John adjusted his ballistic glasses as they exited the shooting range. They proceeded to the elevator and rode it three floors up, reaching ground level.

- "So, uh… When am I gonna get an assignment?", asked John almost hesitantly.

- "You've asked me this same question a million times already. I said I don't know. We're still assessing the global situation regarding the B.O.W. threat.", Leon responded.

- "Yeah but you know wha—Oh, hi Sher.", said John to Sherry as she was passing by him and Leon in the main lobby of the D.S.O. Headquarters. She responded with a sweet smile and a short 'Hey'. Leon just greeted her with a smile and a nod. John continued talking:

- "You know what the situation in Edonia is. The civil war's still raging in the country, and the B.S.A.A. are aiding the government forces in the fight against the infected revolutionaries. I'm still wondering why the D.S.O. hasn't intervened in—"

- "In the war? That's out of the Division's jurisdiction.", said Leon as they were exiting the tall building.

- "Yes, I know", John persisted, "but you went to China even tho—"

- "Look", Leon interrupted him and stopped walking, "I know you're Edonian and are eager to go back to your home country. I suppose you had friends and family there and you want to know if they're alive, but you can't use your position in the D.S.O. for pursuing personal goals. I guess you want to put a bullet into the revolutionary leader's head yourself, I know you want vengeance for the death of your parents, but you mustn't let your feelings mess with your duty."

He paused a bit, looking at John, who was staring into the ground, and then continued, in a much calmer manner:

- "I'm sorry. You know I'm the first to disobey orders if they prohibit me from doing good, but my hands are tied too. We can't do anything until the new President gives the order."

John looked him in the eyes, feeling kinda sad and ashamed at the same time, and said:

- "Yeah, I know… I'm sorry. It's just that I… I dunno. I didn't have many friends back there, and I had next to no family except my parents. But I want to kill that bastard so damn much… I know I can't let my anger get the best of me. C'mon, lets go get that coffee already."

The city was crowded. People going about their business: Men with ties and suitcases, street cleaners, teenagers going to school, mothers with children screaming for ice-cream. All these people, leading careless lives, oblivious to the danger the world faces. As John was born and raised in Edonia, he got used to never letting his guard down. Behind every corner could be a mugger, hobo, or a psychopath. Such was life in Edonia, a huge city, full of the worlds worst scum, a criminal empire, a place where mafia and government were synonyms. America was different. Sure, you could still very well get stabbed to death on your way home from work, but life felt… Different. All those things John used to dream about – Starbucks, parties, modern cars, pretty girls and the best guitars in the world, they were all here. If things had happened differently, he would never even think of going back to that shithole of a country. But… Well, shit happens, and as luck would have it, shit always happens to the Roland family.

John and Leon went into Starbucks and ordered coffee. Leon watched the news on the TV in the shop while John was staring out the window and twiddling his ankh necklace between his fingers. That's the only piece of jewelry that he ever wore. It went nicely with his black clothes. He liked wearing black, 'cause he thought that brought out the seriousness in him. Many people have already told him that he is much to serious and mature for his age, that he needs to relax. But that's just who he was.

- "… Meanwhile, the situation in Eastern Europe worsens as the civil wars in Edonia and Easter Slav Republic rage on. The government officials claim that they have the situation under control and that there is no need to worry. A UN congress will be held tomorrow to discuss further actions that are to be taken in order to end the civil wars." The sound was coming from the TV. John didn't bother turning his head. He knew he wouldn't like what he saw if he did.

In the late afternoon, after they finished drinking their coffee and discussing the newest model of a tactical knife that was being developed, they stepped out of the shop.

- "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Take care of yourself.", Leon said.

- "You too. See ya."

It was already evening when John parked his white Mitsubishi Eclipse into the building garage. He never had the hots for cars, but this one he really liked. It was elegant, yet powerful. He rode the elevator to the 23rd floor of the building and walked down the hallway, heading straight to his apartment.

He took off his shoulder holster and placed it on the bar, then walked up to the stereo and turned it on. The mellow sounds of smooth jazz filled the room. The lights were dampened. He poured himself a glass of whiskey with ice and sat on the white sofa facing the glass curtain wall. Since the glass wall stretching from the floor to the ceiling didn't restrict the view, the whole city could be seen from John's apartment. The whole place was rather luxurious; a courtesy of D.S.O. When he was enlisted, they gave him the car, the apartment, and a bank account with 20 million dollars on it, plus the regular salary he received at the end of each month. If he was to be an agent safeguarding the world against monsters, at least he will live like a god. He loved it all: the money, the luxury, the stares of jealous douchebags as he drove his car past them – and he knew he shouldn't. He was raised by his parents to be a modest person. Still, some part of him felt that he deserved this. He was about to risk his neck in the fight against B.O.W.s, and if he dies in the battlefield some time from now, at least he'll be able to say that he lived a good life for the past few months.

He sipped the whiskey from the glass, enjoying the view. He felt kinda good. Relaxed. And lonely, all of a sudden. And then, in a few moments, his depression started kicking in again. The memories of his parents started flooding into his mind, and the feeling that he was all alone in the world, having barely any friends, and no girl to share his bed with.'Shit', he thought, a weak smile adorning his face, 'now I've got get drunk again… Well done, John Roland, you sad, pathetic piece of shit. You've managed to become an alcoholic at age 20. Fucking A'.

He took another sip from the glass, stood up and grabbed the bottle of whiskey.


	3. Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

It was high noon when the ringing sound of his phone woke John up from his sleep. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he drooled on his pillow. The daylight was too strong and bright, it seemed, and his head felt like it weighted a few tons. Beside the bed, on the nightstand, was a 2/3 empty bottle of whiskey, which was full the evening before. He cussed silently as he grabbed the phone and looked at the screen. The caller was Sherry Birkin. He quickly answered his phone and said with a hoarse voice:

- "Yeah?"

- "Where the hell are you?!", Sherry screamed. John distanced the phone from his ear a bit and grabbed his aching head. "You need to get to D.S.O. Headquarters **ASAP**, like **RIGHT NOW**!", she continued.

- "What the hell Sherry, are you crazy? Keep it down, my head is splitting with pain…"

- "I'm sorry but you have to get over to HQ, hurry!"

After he hung up, he stared blankly into the floor for a few moments, and then his eyes widened. 'Shit, what if something serious has happened?! Maybe another Bioterrorist attack?' As he was getting up he hit his toe on the nightstand. He hurried to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and looked in the mirror. He still had a hangover. His eyes were completely red. As he exited the bathroom and went for the fridge, the phone rang again. John answered:

- "Yup?"

- "_Do_ wear something nice, ok?" It was Sherry again.

- "Goddamnit woman, you're interrupting my breakfast!"

He heard a scoff as he hung up. He ate two sandwiches and pulled a suit out of his closet, jumped into it, and strapped on his shoulder holster beneath it. As he exited the apartment, he was still trying to tie his red silk tie. 'So it isn't an emergency.' John thought. 'She wouldn't make me wear a suit if an attack is happening, no point in that. But what the hell is going on, then?'

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened with a slight 'ding'. The garage was nearly empty, the building tenants already in their workplaces. The car's engine roared as John turned the key to start it. "This better be good, Birkin." John muttered and stepped on the pedal.

John barely walked into the lobby of the HQ when Sherry Birkin ran in front of him, looking all upset, and said:

- "C'mon already, they're all waiting for you! Get to the conference room at once!"

- "Wait, wait, who's 'everyone'?

- "Leon, Agent Helena Harper, Hunnigan and the President!"

- "The Pres- Holy shit!"

- "Holy shit's about right! C'mon, get going."

John walked hurriedly down the hall to the left, made a few sharp turns and finally entered the dimly lit conference room.

- "I am so sorry for being late, I was informed about this meeting just a half-hour ago. My apologies."

- "No worries young man, though do try not to sleep in next time, ok?", the president said with a smile on his face.

- "Yes sir, understood.", John replied stiffly.

- "Alright, now to the point. Hunnigan, will you please?", the president continued as John was taking a seat between Helena and Leon.

- "Of course, sir. Alright, first off, agent Roland, this is CIA agent Helena Harper.", said Hunnigan in an official manner.

John shook hands with the young woman and said:

- "Pleased to meet you. You're THE Helena Harper, right? Leon's former partner?"

She nodded with a slight smile on her face.

- "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave the chit-chat for later. We've got business at hand.", Hunnigan interrupted them.

- "Right, sorry.", said John.

- "Ok, so here's what's happening: The situation in Edonia is worsening. The infected revolutionaries are overwhelming the government and B.S.A.A. troops. B.S.A.A. Captain, Chris Redfield, requested assistance from D.S.O., so we're sending them backup – you three. You'll be dropped into the Edonian capital, and are to rendezvous with Captain Redfield on the battlefield and provide any assistance he and his men need. You'll be given the freedom to choose your own equipment loadout after the meeting, and will be given briefing papers with mission details on them. Any questions?"

The trio remained silent. John was calm on the surface, but inside, he was burning with a mixture of anger, excitement, and fear. 'This is it.', he thought. 'This is the moment I've been waiting for."

They took the elevator to the armory, which was below ground. John got into the dressing room, took his expensive suit off, and left it into his locker. He then took out his custom uniform: military-grade boots, grey camo pants, a black t-shirt, leather fingerless gloves, a grey camo bulletproof vest, and of course, his ballistic glasses. On his black shirt, on the right shoulder, was the D.S.O. insignia. When he stepped out of the dressing booth, he saw Helena and Leon dressed up. They wore clothes similar to his, except Helena had light green camo and Leon had dark blue. Then they started picking out equipment. All of them took tactical knives, a couple of grenades, a first aid spray and handguns. Then, Helena took a submachine gun, and Leon a sniper rifle. John approached one of the counters, took a shotgun. The Mossberg 500, with a short bayonet attached to it.

- "I like to keep this handy for close encounters.", John said.

The other two smirked, and stocked up on ammo.

- "Alright people, let's do this.", said Leon.

* * *

**Airspace over Edonia, 1600 hours.**

All three of them were pretty calm the whole trip, considering what hell they were about to enter. John and Helena talked about hers and Leon's mission to China, with Leon adding a few details from time to time.

- "So wait, a fucking crane crashed on top of that Ustanak thing and it lived.", said John with disbelief in his voice.

- "As far as we heard, Sherry and Jake killed him at least half a dozen times over.", Helena responded.

- "Damn…"

After a brief moment of silence, they heard the pilot say:

- "HQ, this is Sierra Alpha Fourteen, come in, over."

- "This is HQ, go ahead, Sierra Alpha." They heard Hunnigan's voice through their earpieces.

- "We're approaching Drop Zone, T-Minus three minutes, over."

- "Good work Sierra Alpha. Proceed as planned. HQ out."

- "Roger that."

Leon stood up, stretching his arms and adjusting his gear, and said:

- "Ok, this is it. We should get prepped for the jump."

Helena and John looked at each other and stood up, going towards the parachute backpacks. As they were walking along the plane, a sudden explosion shook the plane. The back of the plane started filling up with smoke. All three of them fell to the steel floor and heard the pilot shout:

- "AA GUNS! HOLD ON! I HAVE T—AAARGH!"

Another blast came from the cockpit. Leon quickly stood up and ran to the door, and found the pilot with a charred face and a huge hole gaping in his chest. The cockpit was half gone and the plane was loosing altitude fast. AA grenades were still exploding everywhere around them. The three agents quickly put on the parachutes and opened the rear door of the plane.

- "JUMP!", screamed John.

The shells were flying all around them as they plummeted towards the earth in free-fall. John's heart was racing with fear and shock. Everything was blurry and the earth was getting closer and closer by the moment. The ground seemed uncomfortably close when he pulled the cord and the parachute violently tugged him, slowing him down significantly. They landed in a forest not far from a small village, but they got separated.

John got caught up on the branches of a pine tree, and was hanging upside down. Luckily, he wasn't far off the ground, so he'll be able to cut himself down. As he reached for his knife, he suddenly stopped and listened. Footsteps. Two to three persons, running. 'Maybe it's Leon and Helena…', thought John, but immediately changed his mind as three revolutionary soldiers started shooting at him with automatic rifles from a distance. Bullets flew around his head as he pulled out his handgun and offed all three of them with three consecutive headshots. His body was trembling. He holstered the gun and reached for the knife with shaky hands. 'This is nothing like the training course… Back there, the wooden targets don't shoot back.', he thought. He cut the lines and almost immediately hit the ground with a large thud. He arched his back and grinded his teeth in pain. It hurt like hell, but fortunately, he didn't fall from a large height, so nothing was broken. As he tried to stand up his left leg gave in. John fell to his knee, and only then realized he had been shot in the left leg, a few inches above the knee. He pulled out his first aid spray, which served as an anti-infective and analgesic chemical. After he finished bandaging his leg, he managed to stand up, although barely.

'This is gonna be a long mission', John thought.

* * *

Leon brushed the dirt off his short sleeves as he stood up. He was a bit shaken, but uninjured.

- "John? Helena?", he tried contacting them over his earpiece. No answer. 'Damn.', he thought. He looked to his equipment. Everything was there, the weapons, ammo, medical—

Shots echoed through the forest. 'Rapid fire', Leon thought, 'Automatic rifles, 7.62 caliber. So, it's not Helena. Hostiles?'

- "Helena, John, come in." Still no response. He readied his sniper rifle and proceeded into the forest. After a few minutes of walking, he heard another shot, 9mm, and it was close. He started running.

* * *

Helena rubbed her arm as she walked among the trees. She lost her submachine gun, so she'll have to defend herself with the handgun. The forest seemed endless. Her teammates were nowhere to be found. She tried contacting them over the earpiece, but was met with no response. She sighed, clearly annoyed, and continued walking. She didn't really know where she was going, or how she was going to get reunited with John and Leon. 'I hope they're OK. Leon's tough, he can take care of himself, but the rookie is still green… I hope no harm came to them—

She stopped as soon as she heard shots. It sounded like a large caliber, and it was automatic. Suddenly everything was quiet again. Maybe even too quiet. She went onward, jumping over a narrow stream. After a few steps, she stopped to catch her breath. She was still in shock from what had just happened.

Sudden and violent rustling from a nearby bush caught her attention, but before she could react, a guerilla soldier was on top of her. He raised both his hands, grasping a machete and plunged it downwards, towards her neck. She managed to grab his arms, but he was slowly overpowering her. The tip of the blade was dangerously close to her neck. At one point, she started feeling the cold blade slowly push into her skin on her throat. She stared into the soldier's many eyes, and death stared right back. Her skin was already pierced…

The soldier's head blew into pieces and blood and brains sprayed on Helena's face after a sudden shot. She pushed the soldier's limp body to the ground, cleaned her face and saw John, who was barely standing and holding an M9 Berretta with one hand and a bloody bandage on his left leg with the other. He was a bit pale, and already looked exhausted.

Helena touched her throat. A small scratch was bleeding. Another split second and she would've been choking on a cold blade.

- "Th-Thanks, John…"

- "Yeah, no problem… Anytime."

John trembled, then sat down, resting against a tree. Helena stood up and retrieved her gun from the ground.

- "Are you ok? You look pale.", she asked.

- "Huh, I got shot… Is that badass or what?", he responded with a slight smile on his lips.

Helena chuckled, then kneeled beside him and undid the bandages.

- "You treated the wound pretty good… Have you done this before?", she said.

- "Nah, only in training. Guess I'm a natural, huh?"

- "Don't get too cocky. There's still work to be done on this wound."

- "Yeah, I know, we have to pull the bullet out of the wound. Can you help me?", he asked her.

- "Well, I'm no medic, but I'll try my best…"

John pulled out a metal flask out of a pocket and took a few swigs of whiskey, to dull the pain.

- "Easy on the booze, tiger.", said Helena with a smirk. "Here, bite this."

John took the piece of wood Helena gave him and put it into his mouth. She then proceeded to dig out the bullet. It hurt like hell. John bit into the wood. Although it wasn't so bad as he thought. Helena had a very light hand and delicate fingers. The bullet was out. A bright small flame flickered in front of John's face as Helena heated up her tactical knife, and then pressed the blade onto the wound. John's vision turned red as he desperately grabbed the grass beneath him. His grunts were deafened by the piece of wood in his mouth, which now had considerable bite marks. Helena took a needle and surgical threads from the medkit and sewed his wound. He couldn't feel the needle because his skin already burned like hell. After that, she applied more first aid spray on the wound and put fresh bandages on it.

John spat out the wood and his head fell on his chest. He was panting heavily. Although his training was rigorous, nothing prepared him for enduring this much pain. Helena put her hand on his cheek:

- "Hey, hey, stay with me, OK?

- "Ye… Yeah… I'm fine, don't worry." Said John and put a smile on his face again.

She had to admit it – the kid's got balls. Even veteran soldiers have problems enduring that much pain. John handled it stoically.

- "I'm gonna go wash my hands and face, OK?"

- "Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere."

She grasped the cold stream water and washed the blood of her skin. She found John, or rather; he found her and saved her. Now they have to find Leon. 'Saved by a rookie', she thought, 'You've turned out quite a damsel in distress, Helena.'

She walked back towards John, but stopped as soon as she saw that he was holding his handgun with both hands, looking behind the tree. Soon enough, she heard the footsteps and voices herself. The enemy was advancing on them. Helena quickly took cover behind a tree, and not a moment too soon, as 7.62 bullets flew a few centimeters past her face and hit the tree behind her, splintering its bark. They both immediately returned fire. The revolutionaries started running towards them, sure of their victory until one of them had their head removed with a loud 'bang'. On their earpieces, Helena and John heard a familiar voice:

- "Tango down."

- "Leon, you bloody bastard, I knew you'd make it.", said Helena.

The soldiers were turning to see where the fire was coming from when another one fell to the powerful sniper rifle. John and Helena seized the opportunity and started raining hell upon the guerilla soldiers. In a matter of seconds, they were wiped out. A few moments later, Leon stepped out of a bush, reloading his rifle.

- "Are you two OK?", he asked.

- "Yeah… Kinda. He was shot in the leg, but we treated the wound", said Helena.

- "We haven't even properly started the mission and you already got shot?", Leon grinned.

- "Cut him some slack, he saved my life a few minutes ago.", Helena said. "He looks rather pale, though… He might be delirious from shock."

Leon approached him and lifted three fingers in front of John's face:

- "How many fingers am I holding up, rookie?"

John responded by giving him a smile and the middle finger.

- "He's fine.", said Leon and smirked. "Always the badass. C'mon, get on your feet, agent. We've got a mission to complete. We jumped 30 kilometers off-course. I say we check out that small village outside the forest. We might find a car or something like that.

After a good 15 minutes of walking, they arrived to the 'village' they saw earlier. It wasn't a village at all, just a few houses surrounding a dirt road. The houses were abandoned, and a jeep was standing in front of one of the houses. They entered the vehicle, with Leon at the wheel, and started it. It had fuel in the tank.

- "Our lucky day.", Leon murmured.

- "Yeah, riiight…", John sounded off from the backseat.

- "Imagine if you had to walk to the capital.", Leon looked back and smirked.

The highway was rather clean, much to their surprise. Only a few abandoned cars here and there occasionally stood on the road. They knew they were entering the city by the suburban houses on both sides of the street. Leon took a turn to the right, towards the capital center. John sat straight, looking through the windshield. In front of them was a huge ruined city. Columns of smoke could be seen rising everywhere, and explosions and gunfire could be heard in the distance.

- "Hell, the city was like this even before the war", John said and smiled. "Home sweet fucking home."


	4. Chapter 3: Calm Before the Storm

- "I remember this place.", said John with a certain dose of nostalgia in his voice. "My dad and I used to come here for a drink after a hard-day's work. Well, back when things were… Different."

The café was torn to bits, probably by tank grenades. Leon turned left at the next intersection and looked at the GPS in front of him:

- "We're almost at the rendezvous point. How are you holding up?"

- "I'll live. It hurts a bit less, at least."

Helena turned her head and glanced at the backseat. John was now sitting up. 'He isn't half-bad for a rookie.', she thought. He had a certain resolve on his face and stoicism in his posture.

- "Um… Does anyone actually know anything about the leader of the J'avo?"

- "No. Chris is supposed to fill us in once we get there."

- "Fucking A. We're walking blindly into a mess, and we don't even know who to point the gun at."

- "You were pretty enthusiastic about coming back here a few days ago. Now it sounds like someone made you come and pushed you off a plane.", Leon remarked.

- "Well, technically…", John smirked, "I don't know, really… I guess I had hoped it wouldn't be this bad. Coming back here from America was like 'Exit Wonderland, enter shitstorm."

They sat in silence for a few moments. There was no one in sight, but the sounds of fighting could still very well be heard. The car suddenly stopped and the roaring engine died down. All three exited the vehicle.

- "It's out of gas.", scoffed Leon. "We'll continue on foot, it's not far fro-"

- "RPG!", screamed Helena.

The rocket blast knocked them back a few feet. The car was blown to smithereens in a fiery inferno. John' vision went blurry as he was trying to get up, holding his wounded leg. By instinct, he pulled his M9 Beretta out and started searching for targets. He didn't need to try very hard, as enemies surrounded the three of them, outnumbering them at least six to one. The J'avo started raining lead on them. Leon, Helena and John returned fire, but their morale started weakening. Helena took cover behind rubble, while Leon helped John get behind a stack of sandbags. The trio tried fighting back, but bullets flew to close to their faces. They were suppressed.

Suddenly, an unknown group of soldiers opened fire from a nearby building. The enemies started falling one by one, and shifted their attention to the building. Too late. A few seconds after, the deafening roar of a heavy machinegun echoed out through the derelict streets. The high-pitched ringing sound of shells could be heard as the last target dissolved into a black liquid.

A loud 'Clear!' came from the building, and then, the soldiers left the cover of the shadows. They were led by a tall, muscular man, wearing a buzz cut. The look on his face was serious and proud.

- "Good timing, Chris."

- "Leon.", the man saluted.

- We had trouble getting here…"

- "You got shot down, I know. We saw the explosion from the streets. Sorry, I could've sworn we eliminated those AA guns a few days ago. I'm glad you are safe, at least."

- "We lost the pilot, and one of our teammates was injured when we touched ground."

Chris approached John and gazed at him, like he was evaluating the rookie.

- "A new addition to the team. Name's Chris Redfield, glad to meet you." Chris extended his hand. John shook it and said:

- "I'm John Roland, D.S.O. The pleasure is all mine."

Chris suddenly had a slightly confused look on his face, but quickly snapped out of it. John continued:

- "I've heard about you, Captain."

- "Hah, I can't imagine what Leon told you about me."

John smiled, still holding Helena's shoulder. Chris then turned towards agent Harper and said:

- "I believe we've already met."

- "Yes, back in China."

- "Right. Now, on to the matter at had. It's true that we've suffered heavy losses, both army and B.S.A.A., but we've finally got the J'avo cornered. The leader and his best men are holed up in the Town Hall. The problem is, they've turned the building into a damn fort."

Chris took out a map and placed it on top of a ruined brick wall. John glanced at it – the map was full of black and red markings, depicting enemy positions, camps, bunkers and supply depots.

- "These three streets lead from the Square of Duke Ivan to the Town Hall. The enemy has set up machinegun nests here, here, and here.", continued Chris, pointing at the markings on the map. "These three nests, as you can see, are set on choke points. If we try to storm their positions, they'll mow us down in a matter of seconds. That's where you three come in."

Chris lifted his gaze and look at the trio. Leon was looking at the map, while Helena was checking John's wound.

- "You need us to sneak behind their lines and sabotage them?", said John while applying fresh bandages on his wound.

- "Yes. A small group will be able to get by them without attracting attention, and we weren't able to send any men to do that since we're to busy defending key points throughout the city. Now here's the catch: You three must split up and take out all three nests at the same time. That way, we'll have the element of surprise, and will be able to charge the town hall immediately." Chris then looked at John's leg, and continued:

- "That is, of course, if you…"

- "No, John's leg is hurt", Helena said, "He won't be ab –"

- "I can do it.", John interrupted her.

Leon smiled, and said in a low voice:

- "He may not look like much, Chris, but the kid's got guts. Give him a shot."

- "It's not that… I'll talk to you in camp.", Chris said in a serious manner. He sighed, then said:

- "OK then, that's settled. C'mon, lets go back to camp. You can rest there."

- "We will head out straight away!", John said.

- "John, I admire your courage, but…"

- "Listen, badass", Helena said, obviously annoyed, "you might feel the need to play Rambo, but I'm tired. Leon's exhausted, too, and your wound still hasn't closed up well. We have to rest, and you're coming with us to camp. Got it?"

John opened his mouth as if he wanted to reply, but changed his mind and just sighed.

- "Yes, OK. You're right."

Leon nodded in approval, and Chris smiled.

- "Allright everyone, move out!"

They were sitting in camp, waiting until it was almost dawn. The sabotage was to be done in late night, and the attack at dawn. Leon was cleaning his rifle and talking to Chris. Helena was munching down on some canned food. John was standing rubble a bit farther from camp, looking at the Town Hall. Suddenly, Chris and Leon started arguing about something.

- "He needs to stay back. What if he fails to do it?", said Chris.

- "The kid has the right to –"

They then looked around to see if anyone was listening in, then started whispering. John was looking at Leon's lips, trying to read them:

- "H.s g...a f.n. o.t s..n.. o. l..e."

John gave up. What ever Chris thought of him, he was gonna prove him wrong. He won't let a small wound stop him from sabotaging that machinegun and joining the attack. Not now, when, they've come so far. He then averted his gaze back to the Town Hall. 'He is in there. I don't know who he is, but tomorrow, I end his life for causing all of this. I can literally feel the bastard.'

His trail of thought was interrupted by Helena. She had brought him some canned food.

- "Eat. You'll need it.", she said.

- "Thanks. I appreciate it. What about you?"

- "I've already had some."

They stood on the rubble, looking into the distance. The night sky was occasionally lit up by distant explosions.

- "Why do you hate him so much?", Helena interrupted the silence.

- "Huh?"

- "You hold a grudge against the J'avo leader. Why?"

- "Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you hate the man who threw your country into chaos? Who destroyed everything you once held dear?"

- "I thought you hated this country."

- "Yes, but I loved it's people, it's culture… It's beautiful landscapes… And that bastard ruined it all."

John seemed furious, disgusted even, but his face was calm and his breathing steady. He was now standing up straight. The first aid spray did the job, and John gradually adapted to the pain. He no longer paid any attention to the wound, nor did it hinder him in any way.

- "I know how it feels to lose family to the B.O.W.", Helena said.

- "This is no longer a matter of personal vengeance. The J'avo are a threat to world-wide safety."

Helena knew it wasn't like that. Something sparked in John's eyes every time he said J'avo.

'He is putting a brave face on, but I know it must be tough for him', she thought. 'Being Edonian, he must've seen a few familiar faces, both dead and infected. He's holding it together rather well, considering everything.'

Now that she thought of it, she wasn't much older that him, only 24 years old, when she watched her sister fall into that endless abyss. She felt a lump in her throat, and even though she wanted to say something, she couldn't. Her eyes started tearing up, but she was determined to hide it. Not in front of him, the rookie. She was supposed to represent a strong and resolute person, a bulwark of national safety, a woman of duty and –

- "You're thinking about your sister, aren't you? I've heard what happened to her. I'm sorry for your loss.", said John, putting his hand on her shoulder.

- "How did you…"

- "Lucky guess."

He was looking into her glimmering eyes. After a few moments, she looked away, blushing a bit, although John couldn't see it because they were standing in darkness.

- "I can't let my feelings hinder me in – "

- "We're all human, Helena.", said John. She looked back at him. "It's OK to have feelings. Let it out, you know?"

He had a reassuring smile on his face. She smiled back.

- "Hey, we're moving out in a couple of minutes. Get ready." It was Leon, and he was already geared up. Helena checked her ammo, and John put his clear-glass ballistic glasses on. Miraculously, they survived the fall and the RPG blast.

The soldiers gathered up around the map. Leon took out his PDA and tried calling HQ once more, in hopes they could establish communications.

- "Leon! Guys! Thank God, we thought we lost you! What happened?", Hunnigan shouted. Her face on Leon's PDA was terrified and relieved at the same time.

- "Our plane was shot down. We lost the pilot, and John was injured, but other than that, we're alright. We landed 30 km off-course, though, so it was a long trip to the rendezvous point. I tried contacting you but we lost communications with you."

- "Yeah, we lost the frequency of your personal channels. We searched all day for your signals."

- "We met up with Captain Redfield, and have devised a battle-plan. We have the J'avo leader surrounded in the Town Hall."

- "Sounds like you've got it all figured out. Good luck people, I'll inform the President about your situation."

- "Thanks. We'll keep you posted." Leon hung up.

Chris looked at the three of them and then said:

- "As soon as you give us the 'all-clear' we will move in and assault the Hall. Alright? See you in the attack."

The team nodded, then started climbing though the ruined buildings. Some of the Edonian government soldiers shouted:

- "Srećno brate!"

(Good luck, brother!)

- „Hvala. Vidimo se ispred skupštine!"

(Thanks. I'll see you at the Town Hall!)

Chris then added from afar:

- "Be careful! Most citizens were evacuated, but those that weren't were mostly infected with the C-Virus! Watch your backs!"


	5. Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

They moved silently through the buildings, avoiding the streets. Chris was right – the streets were run over by the dead. Leon noticed that John was carefully looking at their faces, trying to spot a friend or a family member, God forbid. John sighed in relief, as he didn't recognize anyone among the infected. A few small-caliber shots were heard, not far from their location, but they were quickly replaced by a horrified scream, and then daft silence. John talked to some Edonian soldiers back at camp, and they said that there were still some survivors who failed to escape the city in time, so they had to fend for themselves. What the trio had just heard was probably the end of survival of a poor soul.

They stood at the Square, beneath an obsidian statue. The three streets were stretched before them.

- "I'll take the right one. Helena, you go left. John, you'll take the middle street. Keep in touch. The streets are parallel, so if any of you finds themselves in need of assistance, just radio for help. Good luck.", said Leon. Helena nodded and quickly made off. John started walking, but Leon put his hand on John's shoulder.

- "Whatever happens, we need to do this, OK? When the time comes, you need to be ready to pull the trigger, no hesitation, understood?", he said.

- "Of course. In fact, I am looking forward to it", John responded, and started running down the middle street.

Leon stood there for a few moments with a sad look on his face, and muttered:

- "I don't that will be the case, John Roland…", then ran towards his destination.

John was making his way down the streets, walking through a maze of abandoned cars. He saw a few zombies here and there, but he didn't shoot. He didn't want to give away his location to the enemy. As he went around the corner, he heard screams for help. It was a woman, and she was getting closer. John took up a shooting position and raised his handgun.

- "HELP! HELP ME!", she screamed.

Suddenly, an infected grabbed her leg from a nearby door and bit her, pinning her to the ground. She screamed, and very soon more zombies swarmed her. In a matter of seconds, they were biting and clawing her, ripping out her entrails. The woman screamed in agony and horror as she watched herself being devoured by half-a-dozen monsters. She started gurgling, and let out a weak, stretched 'Blaaargh', choking on her own blood that was flowing out of her mouth. John lowered his gun an started running. He saw at least 20 more zombies coming to feed on the new victim. John kept running. 'There's nothing you could've done', he kept telling himself. 'You couldn't help her. Just finish your mission.'

After he had ran for almost a mile, he stopped, breathing heavily. He bent over, putting his hands on his knees. He then shivered heavily, and threw up yellow bile. What he had just witnessed would give him nightmares for the rest of his life. He wiped his mouth, breathing in. When he lifted his gaze, he saw the machinegun nest at the end of the street. The J'avo had not noticed him yet. He entered a nearby building complex. He was gonna flank them. While he was sneaking through the building he saw a lone guard ahead. The guard was looking through a window. John approached him with his tactical knife, concealed by shadows, and slit the guard's throat, who quickly dissipated into the black liquid.

John was on the second floor of the building, looking down on the machinegun nest. Behind the sandbags were a few J'avo, and some boxes of grenades. His earpiece sounded off.

- "I'm in position.", said Leon.

- "Helena here, I'm ready."

- "Alright guys, do it", said John.

He took a HE Grenade, pulled the pin and threw it into the boxes below. Before they realized what was happening, they were blown to pieces by the massive explosion. John heard two similar sounds not far from him. They did it. Now all that was left was to attack the Town Hall. Easier said than done.

John walked down to the street, moving towards the huge Town Hall, but he suddenly stopped. In front of him was a single silhouette, it' back facing towards John. Helena was approaching John from the left, but he paid no mind to her. He was enthralled with the silhouette. It looked somehow familiar, it looked like his…

- "Mama?"

(Mom?)

The silhouette didn't move.

- "Mama, ja sam, Jovan."

(Mom, it's me, it's John.)

He made a step towards her, with a happy expression on his face, but it quickly filled with horror and his heart sank as his mother turned around. Or at least, what was left of her. Her eyes were milk-white, her jaw dislocated, and half of her face was gone. She was still in her usual attire, though it was ripped open, and a huge hole gaped in her stomach. She started shambling towards him.

- "Ne…"

(No…)

He watched in disbelief as his mother was moving to attack him. He dropped his gun, which hit the ground with a loud thud.

- "JOHN!", shouted Helena and raised her gun.

He tripped on a dead body and fell to the ground. His mother jumped on top of him. Helena tried pulling her back, but was pushed away, and fell to the ground herself. John's mother grabbed him by the throat with both hands, his face still in disbelief.

A loud shot echoed from a nearby building. His mother was blasted back, and fell on her back, still gurgling. John stood up, picking up his gun, and started walking towards her.

His early childhood memories started flashing in front of his eyes. Eating her home-made soup. He was close to her. Going ice-skating with her watching him happily. He was on top of her, putting his leg on her throat. The memory of her telling him bedtime stories. He pointed the gun at her forehead, while she was reaching out towards him. He remembered how firmly she hugged him as he left for America, leaving her and dad behind.

BANG!

She went limp.

He dropped his gun again.

The Town Hall was close, he has to get there. The attack is happening soon.

He walked a few steps, then stopped, fell to his knees, dived his face into his palms and burst out in tears. He was sobbing, his body shaking with grief and pain. Helena walked up to him, knelt down and hugged him. He didn't respond.

Leon watched the scene through the sniper scope. He wiped the tear off his cheek and called Chris.

- "All clear. Proceed with the assault."

- "Roger."

Soon enough, an assault chopper flew over their heads, and war cries of charging soldiers sent sounded off from all around them. John grabbed Helena's arm and put his head on her shoulder as she was still hugging him. The soldiers charging the Hall ran around them, ignoring them. The chopper started raining bullets and rockets on the windows and balconies of the Town Hall. Covered by chopper fire, the soldiers quickly reached the doors of the Hall.

John stopped crying. He stopped sobbing. He picked up his gun and stood up with a blank look on his face.

And let out a horrifying scream, running towards the Town Hall. Not a scream of fear, or of pain, but full of rage, fury, and hate.

- "Helena, stop him! His gonna get himself killed!", shouted Leon through the earpiece, reloading his sniper rifle and moving down to the streets.

While soldiers were preparing to breach the Hall door, John ran up the stairs and burst through them like a tempest, taking out his shotgun. The soldiers went after him. He ran through the hallways, clearing them out in lightning speed. He ran up the stairs onto the next floor. Shell after shell hit the torn red carpets on the floor. He reloaded his shotgun on the run. Bullets were flying around his head, grenades exploding, men shouting and J'avo growling. Soldiers were locked in close-quarters-combat. The chopper was still butchering the building and the J'avo in it. Nothing was able to stop John. Any mutant that stood between him and the leader was torn to pieces.

While he was running, he felt a few blunt strikes against his bulletproof vest and a sharp pain in his shoulder. He was shot. He quickly jumped over the sandbags in front of the main hall and blasted the J'avo's head off with his shotgun.

- "John, STOP!" He heard Leon shout from behind.

John crashed into the main hall door. It was barricaded, and John bounced right off them. He then stood up and started blasting them with his shotgun.

- "John, stop, you're wasting ammo!", Leon shouted, grabbing his shoulder.

John just shook of his hand and pushed Leon back, who hit the nearby table, and then continued shooting at the door. In a few moments, his gun was just clicking, giving the sign that it was empty. John reached for his ammo pouch. He had only seven shells left. He reloaded the gun and aimed it at the doors.

Helena grabbed his arm, looking straight into his teary eyes. He was breathing heavily, and his face was red. John then lowered his shotgun and leaned on the nearby wall. He slid down it, sitting on the floor and looking at the hallway. The walls were red and black, and full of holes. Numerous bodies were spread along the hallway, and most of the windows were broken. The fighting in other parts of the building could still be heard. Leon was kneeling next to him, and Helena was standing nearby. On the other end of the hallway was Chris Redfield. All three were looking at him.

- "He's in there. We have to breach the door, the bastard's in there.", John said.

- "John, calm down, you almost got yourself killed rushing the hallways like that!"

- "WE HAVE TO GET IN THE MAIN HALL, HE'S –"

- "JOHN, CALM THE FUCK DOWN! I'M SORRY, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE COULD'VE DONE!"

- "NOTHING?! THE CURE HAS ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED! WE COULD'VE BROUGHT HER BACK TO HEAL HER, WE COULD'VE – "

- "John", Leon interrupted him, "She was beyond saving. I'm sorry."

John looked at Leon, then swallowed his own spit and grabbed his head. He was still breathing heavily.

- "I wish I didn't have to see her like that. I wish none of this had never happened…", he said.

- "We all do…", Helena spoke out. "But getting yourself killed won't bring her back."

- "No. But killing that bastard in there will at least satisfy my need for vengeance."

At that moment, Chris shouted:

- "Look out! Get back! Get BACK!"

His men started shooting, and after a few moments, a Ljepotitsa came around the corner. She sprayed a blue gas throughout the hallway, and Chris' men started choking. Soon enough, they turned into zombies and started attacking each other.

- "Go! Kill the goddamned bastard! I'll handle this here!", he shouted.

John stood up and picked up his shotgun. His face was still furious. He kicked down the large wooden door, and the trio found themselves in a large, semi-circle hall. It was dark, except for one light, that was shining on a tall, muscular, bald figure in a trench coat. His back was facing the door. He seemed to be looking at the large mural on the wall that depicted a glorious battle between Edonians and the Ottoman Empire.

Before Helena and Leon could stop him, John ran down to the podium in the middle of the room, and said:

- "Okreni se, seronjo. Hoću da te gledam u oči dok umireš."

(Turn around, shithead. I want to look you in the eye when you die.)

- "Toliko mržnje… Otac te sigurno nije naučio da budeš takva osoba."

(So much hate… Your father can't have taught you to be that kind of person)

- "Moj otac je mrtav. ZBOG TEBE! TI SI KRIV ZA SVE!"

(My father is dead. BECAUSE OF YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!)

- "O, ne. Tvoj otac nije još mrtav."

(Oh, no. Your father is not dead yet.)

The figure turned around.

This was too much for John. Now he understood why Chris was confused when John said his last name is Roland. 'He's gonna find out sooner or later.' That's what Leon was saying back in camp when John was trying to read his lips. They knew all along, that's why Chris didn't want him on the mission – he thought that John will fail to pull the trigger.

- "O..če?"

(Fa..ther?)

John's knees started shaking. Leon grunted and Helena opened her mouth in disbelief as they gazed upon the figure. He was bald, wore a goatee and square glasses. His eyes were part green, part brown, just like John's.

- „Zašto, oče?"

(Why, father?)

- „Bilo je krajnje vreme za promene. Previše dugo je ova vlast ugnjetavala narod. Previše dugo smo gutali njihove laži, predugo smo ih pustili da kradu od ove zemlje. Nisam ja uništio ovu zemlju, ne. Ja sam je spasio. Spasio sam je od od proklete vlasti, koja nam je svakim danom sve više zagorčavala život. Edonia će još jednom dostići svoju staru slavu."

**(**It was about time for a change. For too long has this government oppressed the people. For too long have we swallowed their lies, too long have they been stealing from this country. I haven't destroyed this country, no. I saved it. Edonia will once more reach it's former glory.)

- „Oče, mama je mrtva zbog tebe! Ubio si sedam miliona ljudi da bi „oslobodio" Edoniju... Da li shvataš kakav si monstrum postao?!"

(Father, mom is dead because of you! You killed seven million people to 'free' Edonia… Do you realize the monster you've become?!)

- "Dosta! Ili mi se pridruži, ili nestani!"

(Enough! Either join me, or perish.)

John raised his shotgun.

Too late. His father ran up to him almost instantly and swiped at him with his massive arm. John flew about twenty feet before hitting the wall and crashing down on the floor. He felt his ribs crack from the force of the blow, and his head was hurt badly… He heart grunting, shooting, and screams. John's ears were ringing. He managed to turn on his belly and started crawling towards his teammates.

- "John, stay down!", Leon shouted.

He kept crawling.

- "Helena, get him out of here, I'll stall this guy!"

- "But –"

- "NOW!"

Helena ran up to John, turned him on his back and started dragging him along the floor, holding him for the collar of his vest. John somehow managed to slide his shotgun over to Leon, who immediately picked it up and started shooting.

As Helena dragged John out of the main hall, he heard Chris shouting:

- "WHERE'S LEON?!"

- "He's still in there with the leader!", said Helena.

- "I'm taking my men to help him… What about John?"

- "He's badly hurt, he needs immediate medical attention!"

- "The building's clear, get John to the chopper, the pilot will get you out of here!"

John heard a dozen footsteps, and saw a number of silhouettes running past him. He blacked out.


End file.
